Paddy Pimblett: Ilia Topuria was built using my name for clout - MMA Junkie

Paddy Pimblett thinks his rivalry with Ilia Topuria helped build his name early.

Pimblett got into it with Georgian fans online in 2021 by calling them "fake Russians," which Topuria condemned him for. Although he later apologized for his comments, that led to an altercation in March 2022 in London, where Pimblett threw a hand sanitizer bottle towards Topuria. Their feud continued when they went at each other during the UFC 282 pre-fight press conference.

Both fighters have become two of the most popular on the UFC roster, with Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) reaching incredible heights by capturing two UFC belts. Pimblett (24-4 MMA, 8-1 UFC) takes credit for helping build Topuria's name.

"When all that tweeting sh*t was getting done, I'm just tweeting back to people, I didn't even know who the f*ck Ilia Topuria was," Pimblett said on a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience." "How the f*ck am I meant to know who he is? He's just some little d*ckhead. No one even knew who he was, and it just went from there.

"Then I think the next time we seen each other was at the press conference when I fought (Jared) Gordon, and he fought Bryce (Mitchell). That was the next time we'd seen each other, but then I was out for a year because I got injured in the Gordon fight. I was out for a year, and give him his due, he built up fast. But as I said, I don't think he would have been built up that fast if he didn't use my name for clout."

A potential fight between the two is more realistic than ever now after Topuria lost his UFC lightweight title to Justin Gaethje in June, and Pimblett quickly submitted Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329 to reenter the title conversation.